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New York-based Alleghany Corp., which announced its deal to acquire reinsurer Transatlantic in November, appointed Joseph Brandon as executive vice president of Alleghany and president of Alleghany Insurance Holdings. He will also be Transatlantic’s board chairman. The acquisition is expected to close early next year. Brandon was former chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway’s General Re.
New York Insurance Association said Wayne Cooperative Insurance Company CEO Jeffrey Rice has been elected as chairman. He will serve a one-year term. Additionally, Broome Co-Operative Insurance Company CEO Steven Coffey was elected as second vice chair. Fulmont Mutual Insurance Company president Marlene Benton-Sherwood was elected as treasurer. It also elected four directors for a three-year term. They are: Chautauqua Patrons Insurance Company CEO Mark Prechtl; Security Mutual Insurance Company president Thomas Ruane; Allstate Insurance regional counsel Waqas Durrani; and Preferred Mutual Insurance Company vice president Martin Doto.
Aon Risk Solutions, the global risk management business of Aon Corp., appointed Kyle Samuel as resident sales director in Washington, D.C. Samuel is responsible for business development and providing customized risk management advice to clients. He has previously worked at Aon’s Denver office.
Lockton Benefit Group of Lockton Companies appointed Nicholas Dobelbower as Washington, D.C.-based senior consultant for its international benefits services practice. He is responsible for strategic international benefits consulting and development of relationships with Lockton’s clients and affiliates. Previously he worked with IBIS Advisors.
Maryland Insurance Administration announced three senior appointments. Karen Stakem Hornig has been appointed as the administration’s sole deputy commissioner. Hornig first joined the administration as associate deputy commissioner in 2008, serving as the commissioner’s designee for quasi-judicial hearings. In 2009, she was named one of two deputy commissioners. Also, Nancy Grodin has been promoted to associate deputy commissioner. Previously, she was the associate commissioner of compliance and enforcement. She held various positions with UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic Inc, Mid-Atlantic Medical Services Inc., Chesapeake Health Plan, PHH Corp., and Merck & Co. Additionally, Emarie Payne joined the administration as associate commissioner of the property/casualty division. Previously, Payne served as vice president and compliance officer with Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Co. in Baltimore.
Lloyd’s syndicate Ascot Underwriting appointed Dawnmarie Black as senior vice president based in Hartford, Connecticut. Black comes from facultative broker Aon Benfield Fac Inc., where she was executive managing director responsible for launching FAConnect, an electronic placing platform for facultative business transactions. At Ascot, she will work with executive director Charlie Cantlay and other executives to expand Ascot’s facultative reinsurance business in the U.S. Cantlay is also a recent appointee at Ascot, having joined the company in September. He also came from Aon Benfield where he was chairman of Aon Benfield UK and chairman of Global ReSpecialty.
XL Group’s surety unit appointed James Hoyas as vice president and executive underwriter in Baltimore. Prior to joining XL, Hoyas held various surety underwriting and management positions with the United States Fidelity and Guarantee Co., St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co., and Zurich. XL also appointed Ryan Faris as marine underwriter in New York. He was previously underwriter for XL’s offshore energy department.